Viagra May Slow Cancer Metastasis
Analysis based on 31 articles · First reported Jul 21, 2026 · Last updated Aug 04, 2026
The study could boost interest in repurposing sildenafil for oncology, potentially expanding its market and benefiting manufacturers of sildenafil and statins. However, since clinical trials are still needed, the immediate market impact is limited, but the news may positively affect sentiment for companies involved in drug repurposing and cancer research.
Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science, in collaboration with Clalit Health Services and other institutions, published a study in Cancer Research showing that sildenafil (Sildenafil) may help slow cancer metastasis by disrupting cholesterol trafficking in cancer cells. The study, led by Dr. Yarden Ariav in the lab of Prof. Ayelet Erez, found that sildenafil blocks PDE5, raising cGMP levels, which in turn inhibits the NPC1 protein, trapping cholesterol in lysosomes and depriving cancer cells of the cholesterol they need to spread. Experiments in human and mouse cancer cells and mouse models showed reduced migration and fewer secondary tumors. Combining sildenafil with statins produced a stronger anti-metastatic effect. Analysis of two decades of health records from about five million Clalit members associated sildenafil use, especially with statins, with better survival among cancer patients. However, the findings are observational and not from clinical trials; researchers caution that sildenafil is not yet a proven cancer treatment and that randomized trials are needed.
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